April 26, 2009

Obama's slow response on Mexican flu

Is it possible a flu pandemic might accomplish what Tom Tancredo and other Republicans, as well as millions of illegal aliens could not?  That is, to seal the U.S.-Mexico border.  With Mexico City taking aggressive measures to cancel public events as a result of over 1000 suspected cases and over 60 deaths, President Calderone has declared an emergency and has the power to quarantine.



Cases have been reported in the United States already.  The story is pushing the economic recovery or lack thereof out of the headlines for now.  If the crisis grows it will spell some relief for the administration on the issue of dealing with the economy.

Where is the Obama administration on this? According to the AP;

WASHINGTON – The White House says President Barack Obama is being updated on the swine flu outbreak in Mexico.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday the Homeland Security Council is monitoring the situation, along with the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gibbs says Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan is leading the White House's response. Mexican authorities say 60 people may have died from the swine flu virus and world health officials worry it could unleash a global flu epidemic.

Gibbs said Obama was not at risk during last week's trip to Mexico.
After 9/11 there were critiques that President Bush reacted too slowly. There were 2752 deaths.  After Hurricane Katrina the complaints were repeated - there were over 1300 deaths. Those who oppose Iraq point to the 4,199 US deaths there. Is the memory of the American people so short that President Obama is going to get a pass on this flu problem?  Granted it's predominantly a Mexican crisis at this point, but given the number of illegal and legal immigrants streaming in from Mexico daily, shouldn't a flag be raised somewhere about a potential danger from the current situation?  At what point does this become a bigger bungle than those three Bush issues combined? The Bush lives lost total 8251 to date, and arguably not all of those deaths can be blamed on him.  The blame for the Katrina deaths certainly goes in large part to then governor Katherine Blanco [CORRECTED]. And 9/11 was the fault of the terrorists who committed the heinous act.  And while some may disagree with the policy and the premise of the Iraq invasion, Bush was acting in what he thought was the best interest of the nation. Arguably those deaths in Iraq, are his responsibility.  They are deaths however for national security purpose however.  Agree or disagree with the policy, the decision was made for what was believed to be the good of the nation.  

Whatever the actual way someone decides to tally the deaths under President Bush, it may pale in comparison to what happens with this flu outbreak (not pandemic at this point).  The point is, this situation, like Katrina, is one that from the perspective of the United States, was one that was seen coming.  The train is coming, America is laying on the tracks.  It's up to the President to get the country off the tracks before the train hits it.  So far, nothing.

Numbers vary but estimates are that from 2,000 to 10,000 illegal immigrants cross the US border every day. Currently 1 in 100,000 people in Mexico has this swine flu.  Which means statistically every 10 days a new case could be entering the country.  Illegally.  The real number is likely higher as illegal immigrants are poor and more likely to be sick than someone not interested in sneaking into America because they have jobs and health care in Mexico. And that rate of disease entry doesn't even include legal migrants.  Is there any airport screening going on?  Are there extra border patrols being added to combat the problem?  Or as a result of the drug wars spilling over the border that has been flaring up for quite some time now?  Secretary Clinton, did blame the flow of drugs on Americans.  But that's not really a solution, it's just finger pointing.

This flu pandemic could get really ugly, quickly.  So far, President Obama's solution has been the head in the sand approach.  It hasn't proved problematic yet but it has the potential to be disastrous.

Exit note: Gibbs felt the need to point out that Obama's health was fine?  I hope that was in response to a question or else the pomposity of the statement would be staggering.

7 comments:

  1. DHS Secretary Nepolitano will close the Canadian border. . .

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  2. "The blame for the Katrina deaths certainly goes in large part to then governor Haley Barbour." Barbour was one of the stars of te Katrina episode. I trust you meant the idiot Governor of Louisiana?

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  3. The flu spreads from direct contact with pigs. Unless a public event involves pigs I don't think that there is a great issue with people using their right from the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to assemble people for peaceful and lawful purposes.
    Do you recommend a police state?

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  4. Yes, I meant Blanco! Thanks for catching that.

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  5. Mac - you may be missing my point. I firmly advocate free speech. I'm simply pointing out the seriousness with which the Mexican government is taking the issue versus the Obama administration.

    By the way, the virus is spreading without direct contact with pigs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal influenza — through coughing and sneezing, or touching contaminated surfaces.

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  6. Mac, you are wrong. Swine flu may have originated in pigs, but is now speading by human to human contact.

    Obama was golfing today. This is his way of making Janet Napolitano seem competent, despite the fact that she is not.

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  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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